CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “How fortunate we were…”?
A. How fortunate we were?
B. How fortunate we were!
C. How fortunate we were,
D. How fortunate we were.
Correct Answer: B
An exclamatory sentence takes an exclamation mark.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Did the committee approve the…”?
A. Did the committee approve the revised plan?
B. Did the committee approve the revised plan;
C. Did the committee approve the revised plan!
D. Did the committee approve the revised plan.
Correct Answer: A
A direct interrogative sentence ends with a question mark.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Please submit the form by…”?
A. Please submit the form by Friday,
B. Please submit the form by Friday.
C. Please submit the form by Friday?
D. Please submit the form by Friday!
Correct Answer: B
A neutral imperative statement normally ends with a full stop.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “What a remarkable performance…”?
A. What a remarkable performance,
B. What a remarkable performance!
C. What a remarkable performance.
D. What a remarkable performance?
Correct Answer: B
A strong exclamation appropriately ends with an exclamation mark.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Where did you put the…”?
A. Where did you put the receipt.
B. Where did you put the receipt,
C. Where did you put the receipt?
D. Where did you put the receipt!
Correct Answer: C
A direct question ends with a question mark.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The policy affects lowincome households…”?
A. The policy affects low, income households.
B. The policy affects low income households.
C. The policy affects low-income households.
D. The policy affects lowincome households.
Correct Answer: C
Low-income is a compound adjective before the noun and is hyphenated.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “This is a costeffective solution…”?
A. This is a cost, effective solution.
B. This is a cost effective solution.
C. This is a cost-effective solution.
D. This is a costeffective solution.
Correct Answer: C
The compound modifier cost-effective is hyphenated.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The northwestern districts received heavy…”?
A. The north, western districts received heavy rain.
B. The north western districts received heavy rain.
C. The northwestern- districts received heavy rain.
D. The north-western districts received heavy rain.
Correct Answer: D
A hyphen can join the elements of a compound directional modifier.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Only one option remainedresignation…”?
A. Only one option remained - - resignation.
B. Only one option remained, resignation.
C. Only one option remained—resignation.
D. Only one option remained; resignation.
Correct Answer: C
An em dash can mark an emphatic break before a concluding word or phrase.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The decisionthough unpopularwas legally sound…”?
A. The decision,though unpopular,was legally sound.
B. The decision—though unpopular—was legally sound.
C. The decision-though unpopular-was legally sound.
D. The decision: though unpopular: was legally sound.
Correct Answer: B
Em dashes can set off a strongly parenthetical interruption.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The project requires highquality materials…”?
A. The project requires highquality materials.
B. The project requires high-quality materials.
C. The project requires high, quality materials.
D. The project requires high quality materials.
Correct Answer: B
A compound modifier before a noun may be hyphenated to show the words act together.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The report presents uptodate statistics…”?
A. The report presents up-to-date statistics.
B. The report presents up to date statistics.
C. The report presents upto-date statistics.
D. The report presents up-to date statistics.
Correct Answer: A
The compound adjective up-to-date is hyphenated when used before or after a linking verb in this established form.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The committee approved a longterm…”?
A. The committee approved a long term strategy.
B. The committee approved a long;term strategy.
C. The committee approved a longterm strategy.
D. The committee approved a long-term strategy.
Correct Answer: D
A compound adjective before a noun is hyphenated: long-term.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “A fiveyearold child won the…”?
A. A five-year-old child won the competition.
B. A five, year, old child won the competition.
C. A five year old child won the competition.
D. A five-year old child won the competition.
Correct Answer: A
A compound age used attributively is hyphenated.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “She bought a wellwritten reference…”?
A. She bought a well-written reference book.
B. She bought a well, written reference book.
C. She bought a well--written reference book.
D. She bought a well written reference book.
Correct Answer: A
A compound modifier before a noun is commonly hyphenated: well-written.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The examiner said Time is…”?
A. The examiner said “Time is up”.
B. The examiner said, “Time is up.”
C. The examiner said; “Time is up.”
D. The examiner said, Time is up.
Correct Answer: B
The complete direct statement is introduced by a comma and enclosed in quotation marks.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Yes he replied I have…”?
A. “Yes”. he replied “I have checked the figures twice.”
B. “Yes”, he replied, “I have checked the figures twice”.
C. “Yes,” he replied, “I have checked the figures twice.”
D. Yes, “he replied, I have checked the figures twice.”
Correct Answer: C
Commas correctly set off the reporting clause within a continuous quotation.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The child cried I cant…”?
A. The child cried, I can't find my mother!
B. The child cried “I can't find my mother”!
C. The child cried; “I can't find my mother!”
D. The child cried, “I can't find my mother!”
Correct Answer: D
The exclamation mark punctuates the quoted exclamation and remains inside the quotation marks.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “Do not open this envelope…”?
A. “Do not open this envelope” the clerk warned.
B. Do not open this envelope, “the clerk warned.”
C. “Do not open this envelope”. the clerk warned.
D. “Do not open this envelope,” the clerk warned.
Correct Answer: D
A comma inside the closing quotation mark precedes the reporting clause.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Punctuation
Which option is correctly punctuated for the sentence beginning “The manager said Your performance…”?
A. The manager said, “Your performance has improved significantly.”
B. The manager said “Your performance has improved significantly”.
C. The manager said; “Your performance has improved significantly.”
D. The manager said: Your performance has improved significantly.
Correct Answer: A
Direct speech is correctly introduced and enclosed in quotation marks.